


Familiar Lights

by LinaLuthor



Series: Stars in the night sky [5]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fluff, Happy Ending, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-19 09:09:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29748225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinaLuthor/pseuds/LinaLuthor
Summary: Edelgard is invited to attend high school in Brigid with Petra, the Brigidian princess, and Dorothea, daughter to the Adrestian Ambassador. Although reluctant at first, she soon finds more than she thought that she would in that different part of the world.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg, Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg/Petra Macneary, Dorothea Arnault/Petra Macneary, Edelgard von Hresvelg/Petra Macneary
Series: Stars in the night sky [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2085051
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Familiar Lights

Edelgard had always known where to look, what light to follow as she went through her life. Yet at that moment in time a thousand lights glittered in the sky above, only to be echoed by a thousand others in the ground below. They were equally daunting and unfamiliar, welcoming her to a path she still couldn’t tell whether or not she wanted to take.

There was no more turning back, no more looking at the constellations that she knew, that her siblings had taught her when she was a child and couldn’t sleep because of nightmares that hadn’t made sense back then. There was also no more running to her little sister Ethel and begging her to consider going in her place.

There was no getting out of the plane that would take her from Enbarr to Port Sunset, Brigid's capital, on a night that was silent and respectful, welcoming and kind. 

She sighed, leaning into the pristine airplane window to take another look. They had left Enbarr at almost midnight and although they were going "back in time" because of time zones it had mostly been a journey done on darkness, occasionally interrupted by pinpoints of lights in cities and such. 

Likewise, her heart and her thoughts did eventually find some shreds of hope, some idea or another that would cheer her up the slightest about the prospect of finishing high school in a foreign land. 

The arrangement had been done by her father without her consultation, not because he had the pipe dream of ruling over eleven children with iron fists but due to how excited he had been once the queen of Brigid herself said something about the matter. How her daughter Petra and the Adrestian Ambassador's daughter, Dorothea Arnault, would be attending their final year of school at Port Sunset International - and oh, how did Ionius think about sending over his daughter too? 

And now there she was, a few months after the entire matter was settled. Fortunately she had managed to talk her father into letting her travel in a normal airplane instead of taking the presidencial one as he suggested. While that did mean that Hubert and Ladislava had flanked her from the second she was out of the Crimson House - and would soon be joined by more guards before they arrived at the Ambassador’s house -it had been worth it, to do things in a _fairer_ way. 

Well at least that was how she saw it, though back in Fódlan she was pretty sure the media had called her something like a foolish first daughter for thinking her traveling like that would change something, but she was beyond the point of caring. 

There were more important issues to be addressed right then and there anyways, such as the fact that Edelgard’s heart fluttered the second the plane landed, her eyes once again looking at the stars for guidance and finding the sky a stranger to her. Yet it was a stranger that seemed to beckon with kindness. with dreams and possibilities that would come if she allowed the same winds of change that had accompanied the trip to also nudge her forward on that new land. 

There was indeed a warm breeze to the balmy night when she descended the stairs and was temporarily outdoors, before walking towards the arrivals gate. She was used to both having to take a small bus or just being ushered away into a penthouse when government planes were used, so her steps were small and unsure as she went through stable land. Her bodyguards noticed and followed suit, their light green and magenta eyes light and firm once Edelgard turned to meet their gaze, to search for reassurance as they stepped inside the building since the sky was no longer visible and the stars were foreing to her.

She was well-aware of the fact that she was the foreigner in that land, in the island that had shone with fairy lights amidst the vast darkness of the sea when looked at from above. Her oddness was something that became apparent when they were going through customs and immigration, her brain faltering the second the guard in charge of it asked her something in Brigidian. 

Their voice was lilting, the words concealing both the rumblings of waves and the whispers of rain, the harsh gusts of wind and the gentle breezes. It baffled her, to finally hear the beauty of it even though she had studied the language at school and always pulled the highest scores in her entire class. And to be fair it wasn’t as if she couldn’t understand a word of what was said to her, what Ladislava was more than keen to reply to and let them through the small, blue metal stands which were placed in a row in front of the newly arrived. No, the issue was that she realized she couldn’t answer in an appropriate manner, couldn’t make it justice and would sound like a fool if she were to try.

Her heart hammered even more at it, at the thought that she would be required to speak in class and more than likely not in her native tongue. Had her Brigidian teachers lied to her and simply given her honors because she was the former diplomat’s (and current president’s) daughter and not because she deserved it? Edelgard chose not to dwell on the matter even if she wanted to - it was late, it had been a long day. Her body wished for a warm shower and a mattress, since it was weary from being in a plane for that long and for all the small changes that her routine had suffered through the last few days.

Meanwhile her mind wished to know that everything was right, that she would find her own stars and her own piece of safe land on the island. 

First though, she had to find her host family. Which sounded a lot easy when thought about but became increasingly difficult the second her eyes wandered around the vast airport in front of them. 

The walls were pristine white, but few of it could be seen since it was almost completely decorated with paintings. These showed notable historical battles such as the founding of the Adrestian Empire and beginning of their calendar, the War of Heroes in Imperial Year 32, the battle of Gronder in year 46. The War of the Eagle and Lion in 747, the Crescent Moon War in 901 and Brigid-Dagda War in Imperial Year 1175. Aside from it there were pictures of touristic attractions but Edelgard paid them no mind, concentrating as much as she could upon repeating to herself the dates and facts as she saw depicted in the paintings, recalling her history classes.

It was the only way to completely shut out the other, more unpleasant thoughts about her future and what it would entail anyways.

As a result she barely saw the international stores which were easily crowded by those who came from Fódlan and wanted their first taste, their first look at what Brigid had to offer through silly purchases and trinkets. She barely saw as they paraded in front of beautiful coffee shops that held at least a third of those who had just arrived and were eager to get something other than the bland snacks they had had at the plane. 

And finally, after going down in an elevator to the ground floor, bracing themselves together through a crowd and eventually spotting a tall girl and some agents in black beside her, Edelgard came back to her own senses as two emerald lights shone down at her.

“Oh hey there, you must be Edelgard - can I call you Edie? I’m Dorothea and I’m so glad to finally meet you!” 

The girl that Edelgard had only barely noticed in her stupor had long chestnut hair that gently curled over her shoulders and framed high cheekbones, a dazzling smile and the beautiful green eyes that had broken through the shorter girl’s reverie. There was something about her expression, about her as a whole, that had caught Edie's attention from moment one. She couldn’t really put a name to it or a reason as to why Dorothea was so fascinating, how it was easy to beam at her and accept a hug once one was offered.

Edelgard couldn’t remember the last time she had let a stranger embrace her to begin with, but the gesture and Thea’s lilting words instantly soothed her; her Adrestian accent had been changed by years spent in Brigid and became something unique and beautiful, something special that appealed greatly to El. 

A new, different type of stupor that was probably born from tiredness settled over her once pleasantries between them and their bodyguards were done with. As they walked towards the exit, Edelgard let herself be led by the arm and was more than happy to nod as Dorothea spoke, telling her about their house, the room that would be assigned to her, the school itself. An apology or something of the sort was said about the fact that the Ambassador himself couldn’t be there to receive them, but apparently he had had a very busy day all in all.

The night was balmier than what Edelgard had expected, heat settling against her skin once they stepped outside the airport and went towards the rather full parking lot. She had thought weather wouldn’t be a problem as Enbarr was also known to be one of the warmest cities in Fódlan, but her body protested against that new type of warthog and for a second she wondered if she would get used to it soon. 

Yet her thoughts were interrupted as Dorothea waved her into a car, a sleek, simple black one that wasn’t too different from what other people used (which made the smaller girl take note of that and already start planning on writing an email suggesting a few changes. The Hresvelgs had been relying too much on pomp and circumstance as of late if she were asked, and it was more than time for Ionius to see that no, that was not how the rest of the world did it.)

Because the second those emerald irises met her lilac ones, a shiver ran down her spine and she was left with the very distinct impression that she had met Dorothea before…

No, that was wrong. She was left with the very distinct impression that she had met Dorothea several times before. 

Judging by how the taller girl’s eyes also widened in surprise and held Edelgard’s for a moment, before she could move and give space for her companion to sit, maybe she wasn’t the only one who had experienced something unique with that exchange. 

As soon as the door was closed beside her and her gaze roamed over the plush interior, the soft dark leather that made the seats, the pristine, darkened windows and very functional atmosphere, Edelgard shook her head and tried putting those thoughts out of her mind. They were ridiculous after all, weren’t they? She would recall meeting someone like Dorothea no matter how old the two of them had been - and her so-called memories didn’t seem to come from their earlier years either. So that was just a distraction, something to keep her mind entertained and far away from the troubles of the world, the fact that the world she could see as the car eased away from the airport and into Port Sunset itself wasn’t the same one she had grown up in. 

That the stars in the sky weren’t the ones whose lights were rivaled by skyscrapers, antennas, other tall buildings and everything that had turned Enbarr into the technological capital of Fódlan. No, she could see each and every constellation very clearly in Brigid, through the sky there was also framed by edifices in the distance and mountains further away. 

A few things would stay the same no matter where she was, the smaller girl mused and turned to look at Dorothea once the girl started talking a little more about what to expect in that new place, what was completely unlike the customs they had kept in Adrestia. How it was ok, how they would go to school together - and oh, she couldn’t wait for the first daughter and the Brigidian princess to finally meet!

“Petra is such a sweetheart, you’ll love her I’m sure,” Thea went on, especially since Edelgard’s body faced towards her and she had the girl’s total attention. “She’s very good at languages and so on, she’ll probably make sure you’re not getting lost in translation and the likes. But oh, you’ll see it tomorrow, ugh. I’ve missed her terribly this last week, she went traveling with her family and all.”

“This… is very comforting to hear,” Edelgard confessed, as she had also been trying very hard not to chastise herself for not studying more, for thinking her knowledge of Brigidian had already been more than sufficient for her to navigate the island.

She would have Dorothea beside her most of the time though, right? And that would be enough, it would be more than enough so she wouldn’t get lost or not know what to do or how to reply once someone talked to her.

Though she wasn’t one to trust easily, once again Edelgard had a feeling it was more than ok for her to do so with Thea. That her words weren’t winds that would make clouds block the stars, block the guiding lights which were keeping her rooted on that first night. That maybe a long time ago Dorothea had been her anchor in another context, through in the end she sighed in annoyance at herself and decided there were other, more pressing matters for her to care about than some silly intuition.

In the end she turned her eyes to the window, to the sky that offered her no comfort even though there were more stars shining back at her than she had ever seen before. Maybe that was unsettling her in a sense, the novelty of it all and how she would start her last year of high school in a completely different location on the following day. 

Or maybe it was one of the images that she saw reflected in Dorothea’s eyes, of the two of them and another one hugging, holding each other close and crying, trying their best to offer comfort. The image that followed into her dreams and ended in a particularly gruesome nightmare in which the three of them had lost to intense, unrelenting sunlight.

* * *

The prospect of going to school hadn’t sounded bad at all to Edelgard - if nothing, it felt like a safe space; the routine of studying, going from classroom to classroom and taking notes on several lectures was something she cherished and appreciated as a whole. It was infinitely better than the mere thought of walking around Port Sunset and taking in the place that would be her home for the next year or so, noticing how everything was alien to her.

Well, at least that was what the first daughter had imagined as she and Dorothea were taken to school on another simple, sleek black car that was a contrast to the private bus the Hresvelgs used to go towards their different schools each and every day. The taller girl was again very chatty, which provided an anchor and a light to Edelgard’s bleak and questioning thoughts.

Though she drew the line at her calling Edie “very beautiful and princess-like” in the school uniform, which consisted of a long, crimson pleated skirt and white buttoned up shirt, the black backpack that had followed her around for the best part of high school even though her older siblings insisted that she should get a new one or else be laughed at in another country. She had let them keep talking; the pack was good and useful enough, which was totally what mattered - and even better, she could stitch the tears and add pins, colorful patterns or anything related to her own passions into it. 

“Here we are,” Dorothea said in a soft voice, a smile enlightening her features. “Port Sunset International School, in all of its glory.”

There was no exaggeration to the statement whatsoever. The street which led up to the immense building with large windows and light bricks around them was sided by beautiful trees in bloom, pink, red and lilac petals falling to the ground as the wind rushed through them, a slight breeze ruffling the branches. There were no other houses around the block, just tall walls in the same lighter brick that made up the main building and more, smaller edifices behind them, other trees stretching out into the sun. 

The windows on top were a bit larger than the rest and a few were made of stained glass instead, all of them reflecting sunlight at the vast blue sky. And once Dorothea pointed straight ahead and Edelgard had to tear her eyes away from the sky, she was taken aback by the gates under which the car cruised, falling in line behind others that were either simpler or way more luxurious than the ones they were in.

The entrance to the school itself was something completely apart from everything she had seen, which made sense once Dorothea explained that Port Sunset International had as its main objective “keeping Brigidian traditions, while welcoming change, all that was modern and foreign.” The tall pillars made in red rock that were etched with beautiful designs, which stood alongside electronic sliding doors for the entrance, surely helped to make that statement known and true. 

“Are you nervous?” The taller girl asked as their car finally arrived at the cobblestone steps that led to that impressive door and they got out, bags in hand.

She noticed how Edelgard had yet to relax, how she had been so tense there was no question that her shoulders must be hurting due to stress. A part of her wanted to reach over and massage them, loosen them up, but as much as she had felt drawn to the newcomer she was sure the action wouldn’t really be appreciated. Maybe another day, she thought once the girl shook her head and tried smiling, though it never reached her eyes. 

Maybe another day she would understand why the view of Edelgard in the airport, more specifically under the stars as they walked to the car in the parking lot, had made her heart squeeze and quicken, some recognition enlightening both of their eyes. 

But on that day she would act as Edie’s guide for as long as she could. With that in mind she stepped in front of the smaller girl and motioned to the other side of the circular entrance hall with a slight beam, once they had gone through the sliding doors. It was cute to see her looking all over the place, especially at where the sunlight hit the checkered marble floor and reflected it in beautiful ways, then at the notice boards all over the beige walls and the several hallways that led away from that room. 

Children and teens of every age walked through them, yelling and cheering once they met friends, saluting them in many languages that Edelgard had never heard before. They were everywhere she looked and a few did spare her a glance, but apparently nothing about her wide-eyed wonder or her appearance stood out - which made her sigh in relief since the last thing she wanted was to actually be gawked at by kids on her very first moments in that different place.

And as much of a school as it was, as used as she was to that location and its dynamics, there was something about being there that felt completely alien to Edelgard, to the point that she clung to Dorothea as if for dear life as they walked into corridor that for her was completely random. 

“This will lead us to our classroom - oh, one thing. Here we won’t be changing rooms at all, the teachers are the ones who come and go,” Thea explained, then giggled at how that made Edelgard’s eyebrows shot up. “I know, I know. But you’ll get used to it, promise. It’s not as bad as it seems and we have some minutes between classes to stretch up, do something fun, you name it.”

“How long have you been in Brigid, Dorothea?” She asked, looking at the spacious corridor in front of them and all the rooms on either side of it.

What called her attention the most was the fact that the doors had no numbers, no letters, nothing that could distinguish one from the other aside from their location. At that moment she was extremely grateful for the girl walking beside her; she would have freaked out if on her first day she had gotten lost between classrooms because of it.

“Hm, around… seven years I think? Yeah, I only did a few years of primary school in Enbarr, but then father got his position as Ambassador and we were told to come to Brigid,” she answered after some consideration, meandering in front of a cluster of younger students who saluted her with smiles and small waves. She returned the gesture and watched them curiously look at Edie, before going back to a heated argument about who the cutest girl in their year was. “It’s pretty good here though and again, I’m sure you’ll fit right in soon enough.”

Edelgard had another opinion on the whole matter, but in the end she simply smiled and tagged along, wondering where lockets, bathrooms, cafeteria and other important places were. Her mind was unable to focus on something, be it the different designs of the school desks and the big digital boards which covered the walls, or the kids who whispered in a Brigidian so fast she never thought she would be able to understand or catch up with them, the few adults who were decidedly teachers and were already walking around the hallway.

Before she could ask something and try putting her thoughts in order, her eyes fell on someone who just left one of the classrooms and her internal ramble stopped, her legs ceasing to move as well even if only for one second.

And the moment that person looked back at her, magenta eyes meeting her lilac ones and smiling in a gentle, kind way, Edelgard was sure once more that she already knew who the girl was. 

It had nothing to do with the fact that she had just locked eyes with the princess of Brigid herself, an information that was forgotten when they held each other’s gazes and saw a vast, open sky behind them. Dorothea was quick to introduce them, then laugh as Edelgard bowed her head and Petra chuckled, extending a hand in camaraderie for her to shake. Even that gesture was sweet, a mere formality that was thrown aside the next second as Petra brushed the girl’s wrist with the tip of her fingertips.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Dorothea has spoken a lot about you,” the princess said, then motioned for them to get in the room. “I saved us some seats in the back of the room if you’re ok with it.”

Edelgard couldn’t stop herself from gawking, from giving nothing but a small nod and a whispered “thank you” in response. The entire exchange had been in Brigidian, but for the first time ever since she had arrived on the island, she could understand each and every word that was uttered. Sure, the princess had spoken slow and very clearly, but there had been nothing patronizing or demeaning about it. Rather it seemed to be an act of care, of respect towards the newcomer.

Even so, Edelgard could swear it was almost effortless to understand and talk to her than it had been to everyone else that she met on that day, students that were introduced to her as Dorothea’s and Petra’s friends who called her “cute” when trying to reply or grasp what had been said. Even teachers had sounded more convoluted and not because of the vocabulary they chose to use; rather, it was as if Petra was known to her, to the point that her voice, words and language were familiar amidst a sea of uncertainty, of novelty and unstable grounds.

As classes went by and the day progressed, the three girls saw themselves getting closer and closer, whispering about teachers, students and the subjects they were learning. Dorothea and Petra more than helped Edelgard adapt and learn more about her current reality, shining in the dark, unstable sky.

Through it all the newcomer was sure she had met both girls before and more than once, her mind and heart whispering that to her whenever the three looked at one another or her thoughts were adrift. Sure, the logical answer would be that she had seen pictures of them on the newspapers that her father was so fond of reading - they were prominent political figures or related to them after all. Not only would she have recalled that, but she was sure there was something else at play right then and there. 

After all, the first thing that she had seen was Dorothea, the stars in her eyes, the light in her voice and her words. The sun in her smile, the warmth in her gaze whenever she asked if Edelgard was fine. 

After all, the first thing that she had seen was Petra, the windom and kindness in those irises that seemed to recall her of a morning spent outdoors, when the sun came up and secrets were shared in the early hours of the day.

* * *

As much as Edelgard had enjoyed school in Enbarr she had never expected it to become her home. Yet that was exactly the feeling she had whenever a new day at Port Sunset International began - and yes, as the days progressed she knew it would be stupid to actually keep denying herself the truth, to say that she felt that motivated to go because of the curriculum or their teachers.

The reasons why she had been waking up earlier than ever in order to have some extra Brigidian lessons with Petra before school could start wasn’t really that she was helpless at the language. Nor did she do it because there was nothing more interesting than watching how Dorothea did makeup or her skin care routine, though she loved it whenever the taller girl told her to sit down on the bed so she could do something for her too. 

No, the real culprits of why her days had gotten shinier, better and a lot lighter than she ever thought they would be occupied the two seats beside her on each and every day of class. It was almost bittersweet when they had to go their different ways for extracurriculars once afternoon fell and their usual lectures were over, though that was relative since Edelgard had been brave enough to take up drama with Dorothea and track and field with Petra (after profusely denying an invitation to the swimming team, which the princess was currently the captain.)

Those days were so good and unique that Edelgard walked through them in a mist, in a lovely and gentle haze that clouded her mind, that made her smile more than she ever had while in Enbarr. As a result she had almost jumped out of her seat once Dorothea asked her for help with studying since their exams were coming up in around a week. The smaller girl stared at her with a scared expression, her heart racing within her chest.

It was the first time in her entire life she hadn’t started revising around two or three weeks before her tests. 

How had she gotten that lost in time, or how had she not paid attention when the teachers announced there would be exams soon? Granted, they did have those dates affixed on their notice board in front of the school so there was actually no way she could have missed them. 

Except that she had and her panicked expression was enough to make Petra place a comforting hand on her forearm, squeezing it slightly.

“You do not have to be worries, Elle. You have been doing great all in all,” the princess said in their language, as she tried practicing it with the two girls as well. “You will do better than us.”

“Yeah Edie, you’re super smart and it’ll be fine. Just… please help me a little if you have the time?” Dorothea shot her the cutest, most desperate look she could muster; Edelgard could swear her heart sped up once more and not because she was nervous about her lack of organization for her first tests. 

“We could uh… Stay after extracurriculars and maybe, hm, study a bit together?” She mumbled, cursing her voice when it broke and her thoughts when they were unable to stay coherent while dealing with such a simple proposition.

She was more than well aware of the fact that it was who she was talking to that posed to be the problem, not what she had to suggest.

“Sounds wonderful!” Dorothea agreed with a new light in her eyes, a light which made both Petra and Edelgard look at her with soft beams on their faces. “You’re a lifesaver, Edie - and I can use your geography brain, Petra darling.”

“My brain is having all the geography for you!” The princess exclaimed once they got their belongings and left the room, weaving their way through the three other long, light wooden tables that stood in front of theirs. “Can we be starting it today?”

The other two agreed before the sentence was even finished, causing them to giggle at it, at the new opportunity for them to spend more time together. It was easy to arrange for their extra time at school as well, Petra simply spoke to her father about cancelling all of her extra lessons until exams were over, whereas Dorothea let the driver and butlers know they would be going home two hours later than usual for the same reason. 

Many students loathed exam season, all the time they had to dedicate to knowledge, books and notebooks so they could get the good grades that they were expected to. Yet Edelgard, Petra and Dorothea had to admit that the mere idea of being together for more time than usual colored everything in better lights, in hues very alike the ones they saw in the sky one the sun started setting and they decided to linger for one minute more, this time paying a visit to the rooftop. 

It was a beautiful place, it had nothing special to it. There were some boxes around that had probably been discarded and not been taken care of; it was easy to see the area hadn’t been cleaned in a while. Even so it was their space even if only for that late afternoon, the space they claimed amidst laughter and joy after a day spent in almost silence, buried underneath books. 

A space they claimed amidst dancing and gawking at the land that sprawled in front of them, the few tall buildings, grey streets, green woods and rainbow gardens that stood between them and the deep, crystalline ocean that Petra loved so much. As the three sat down close to the edge and simply watched the world around them, they were hit with wonder at the thought that maybe something like that had already happened, but in the middle of a long night that preceded a day in which they had almost been separated.

And another night in which they did, because darkness had claimed one of their own.

As if to make sure that wouldn’t happen again, Dorothea pressed herself closer to Edelgard and reached out for Petra’s hand over the smaller girl’s lap. Their eyes met, emerald, lilac and magenta, and the beauty of the love in their irises rivaled the clear twilight, the stunning colors with which it painted the sky. 

They couldn’t speak, not right then and there. Not when so much was being said with their eyes alone and even they couldn’t really understand, couldn’t really fathom the true nature of the feelings that seemed to be forever ebbing and flowing between them, drawing them together from moment one. Not when so much was being said with touches alone, the caresses they exchanged before one of them was brave enough to ask for a kiss - had they all done it at the same time, at the same language? They would never remember it afterwards, but the kisses that followed would forever be imprinted in their minds. They were watched by the setting sun, the stars above, the moon that joined soon after and the clouds that stood aside, that were sent away by the gentle breeze that caressed and cradled those three souls together once more.

* * *

EPILOGUE

They would never recall who was the first one to find it, or how they stumbled into that thing to begin with. However, once they stopped to tell the tale to other friends and the siblings back at home in Edelgard’s case, it did seem a lot more magical than they were willing to admit.

But then, what about the three of them hadn’t been magical, almost impossible in a sense?

Even so, at some point during their study sessions for that first week of tests one of them had carried the wrong book back to the secluded table they shared in the far end of the library, right behind a shelf and beside a tall window, so their Edie could look at the sky that she loved so much. Granted, it was already late and neither of them were doing too much thinking, though they were again more than grateful for the extra minutes they could spend with each other, how they could hold hands underneath the table and even steal some kisses from time to time, when they were sure no one was watching.

“Hm? This book is... “ Edelgard mused as she opened it and started flipping through it, surprised when she realized it wasn’t the reference book she had been searching for. “It isn’t the history compendium on the War of the Eagle and Lion. Though… It does seem to speak of -” 

The other two watched as she read faster than ever before, her eyes scanning through page after page, becoming wider at each passing word, her cheeks paling with surprise. At first they didn’t intervene, even though Petra felt a little bit alarmed at how tightly the girl was gripping her hand underneath the table. Dorothea couldn’t stand just looking at her and seeing those changes to her expression in silence, though.

“Edie? What is it about? Did you find something interesting?” She leaned in to look at the tome, half expecting Edelgard to close it on her face as she usually did when something was private.

Her shock was mirrored in Petra’s eyes when the smaller girl placed the book flat on the table, in front of them, turned the pages back to where the tale she had read started and stared at it until she found her voice once more. 

“This… might sound absurd, but please read it. It is the story of an Emperor and her two loves, who took a stand against the church of that time and freed Fódlan from their claws. The interesting part is that… it is said that she did it with Brigid’s help since one of her partners was crowned the Queen once the war was over. And the other one… apparently wrote not only operas in honor of such deeds, but this book, too.”

The three girls leaned forward and started reading it from the start, their eyes growing wide at how precise the writing was, how it created such amazing scenes in their minds that it was as if they were in those places right then and there.

Or as if they had been in those places once upon a time, when the world was different but their love had been the stars which had always guided them to one another. The hope that had always shone through the darkness even when that had actually taken them over.

On the days that followed they would take some time out of studying in order to read that book, those tales that spoke to their souls in ways that had never happened before. 

They read of the three women that had loved under the moon and the stars, only to succumb to sunlight. Of the three girls that shared secrets as the sun rose in the horizon after a night in which the skies and the past had stood between them, threatening to tear them apart. Of the lone princess that had locked her heart in the darkness of the night, of the undergrounds that haunted her dreams at night. Of the Queen that had mused under the moon at how the Emperor had shunned her loves, how their light had been diminished by it - until both said queen and their other love understood that darkness had almost taken over their third.

The stories somehow made tears spring to their eyes whenever they read it. The words touched them, their souls that had been calling to one another over time, over skies of beautiful sunrise or twilight, over the constellation that love and nothing but love between three hearts could weave together with such ease.

Sure, they giggled at the book and set it back in the library once they were done with it, commenting on what nice stories those were, if one wanted to get something like historical romance for a good weekend read. 

Sure, they stood closer together and kissed more often after each tale was done with, their hands instinctively searching for the others to share warmth, to share the certainty that they were there.

But a part of them would always recall the book, the sensations they had had when they met each other for the first time, and the sense of balance, of love and rightfulness that was always there whenever they were together in any way, shape or form. 

On the evening that they returned the book to its secluded place in the library then left to go home, walking hand in hand in hand and smiling, the previously overcast sky opened up to show a million stars that they could read and a waxing moon that promised hope. The stars and moon that lit the darkest corners of the sky above and the world below, offering comfort for the three hearts that had once more found each other in an ever changing world. 

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> And it's a wrap guys!! This series was real fun to write, to explore different ways in which their relationship could be like according to the game and its routes.
> 
> Plus the whole star/sky thing was fun to play with shsksjksksa 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it and thank you so much for reading them!


End file.
